Schools resume in Srinagar after long shutdown

After remaining shut for more than three months, classes in prominent schools across Srinagar have resumed from the last few days with students attending the schools without uniform.

The management of prestigious Biscoe, Mallinson, Burnhall and Presentation Convent schools in Srinagar have asked the parents to send their children to attend the classes. However, buses and vans of these schools don’t ply on most routes, forcing parents to pick and drop their children themselves.

“Dear Parent/Guardian: You are hereby informed that regular classwork will be held for classes LKG to 8th and 10th from November 21 (Thursday) with normal school timings,” a notice of a prominent city school sent to parents, read.

All the schools in Kashmir were closed on August 5, the day Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories. Though from the third week of August, the government in a phased manner started re-opening schools, parents were reluctant to send their children back due to uncertainty prevailing in the Valley.

While the authorities went ahead with holding board exams for classes 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th, in most of the schools, the students were promoted to the next class without holding formal annual exams.

“For the last almost four months, children were sitting at home mostly idle. When I was informed by the school management that classes have restarted, but I have to pick and drop my son myself, I readily agreed,” Sajjad Ahmad, a parent told DH.

“Usually winter vacations are declared from early December upto 8th standard but this year government must delay it by at least two weeks so that children at least get some time in schools,” Ahmad added.

Furqan, an 8th class student, said he felt elated to be back at the classroom. “I hope the situation remains normal now and schools are not shut again,” he added.

An official of a prominent school in Srinagar said they decided to resume classwork after parents insisted for the same. “Most of the parents supported our decision to resume classes. Though on most of the routes, school buses and vans are not operating, parents are fully cooperating with us by picking and dropping their children themselves,” he told DH.

“We told the parents not to bring children in school uniform as we feel the situation is still a little tensed. Hopefully soon students will be back to classes in uniform,” he added.